Typically, when a frozen food item is being consumed, such as ice cream, frozen yogurt, snow cones and/or frozen confection foods, the food item melts, creating drippage. Sometimes, frozen food items are consumed while in a bowl, in which case the drippage may be readily managed. More frequently, however, these frozen food items, or frozen confections, are consumed while lodged atop an edible cone, or held on a stick, wherein the drippage becomes more difficult to manage during consumption. Both children and adults alike are susceptible to having drippage land on their clothing, skin and the like, creating a nuisance for the consumer.
Attempts to manage the drippage of melting frozen food items have been made in the prior art. A drip catching plate is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,321,519, providing a plate for receiving an ice cream cone. This invention is not a free-standing invention which creates inconvenience to a consumer by not providing the option to temporarily place the item on a table if necessary. Additionally, the drip catching plate is not grippable by a user.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,162,224, discloses a receptacle for an ice cream cone having a second receptacle within. The ice cream cone is manually elevated by a cord. The cord may be cumbersome and difficult to operate, and again this invention does not allow a consumer to rest the item on a table if necessary, nor does it include a holder for a cone and a separate holder for a stick. Also, the cost of manufacturing this receptacle may be prohibitive.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,646 discloses a dripless ice cream holder in FIGS. 6 and 7 including a holder for an ice cream cone including apertures in a drip plate allowing melted ice cream to drip to the bottom of the holder, in combination with a pleated internal disk that expands to the shape of the cone and holds the cone. The present invention provides structure that holds food drippings in a cup-like receptacle, and prevents melted ice cream from dripping into the grippable portion of the holder. Additionally, the present invention does not use a pleated disk to hold the ice cream cone, and is thus less expensive to produce.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,970 discloses a dripping object holder having a hollow midpoint stem. Separable object support structures snap into, and out of, the hollow stem portion for holding objects to be consumed or to be held. Compared to the present invention, the device of the '970 patent would be significantly more expensive to manufacture, requires assembly prior to use, and the chance for parts to be lost by younger users is substantial.
Yet another disadvantage to the various holders in the prior art is that they cannot be used to manufacture frozen food items for use with the holder. The present invention and disclosure overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art.